I can't believe I haven't mentioned Ennio Morricone yet. He is definitely my favourite composer. Not to take away from some of my other favourites: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Darren Hayes, The Proclaimers, but nobody can beat this guy. I dare anyone to try. He is most known for his scores for the movies The Mission, The Untouchables, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Here are examples:
The Mission: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvBT9sqXnew I know it's long, but the number at the end is well worth the wait.
The Untouchables: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsT-0vhkxsg&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWUFrkvWycI&feature=related
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKlxyoPNaFI&feature=related
November 13, 2008
November 08, 2008
Retard
The following are posts from the Neverwinter Nights 2 game forums.
ASpieboy:
I first discovered RPGs with World of Warcraft. I liked it at first, but the attitude of the other players was sickening. I'm glad to have found NWN2, it's a much friendlier atmosphere.
Then I came across the word 'retarded' in the forums. I don't want to point fingers, but this word is unacceptably offensive. I am disabled, and I speak for all disabled people when I say that the words 'retard' and 'retarded' should not be allowed anywhere. These words are unspeakably offensive.
I know that these words were used without intent to harm, but harm is still done. Let's be mature about this. Don't use the R word. Treat it like all other untolerated racial slurs because it is discriminating against a minority.
I didn't check in for the next few days, and when I got back in touch, it seemed that my post had created quite the controversy. Here are some of the responses:
GT74:
What's the problem here? "Retard" is a real word with a real meaning. It's not offensive per se. Why do you choose to take offense?
MaGicBush:
I don't ever use the word really, doesn't fit in anything I type or say. But I honestly don't know how this could be offensive, even if your disabled. In life you have to learn to ignore others for the most part, and take it with a grain of salt. My wife's uncle is *extremely* handicapped but I don't take offense to it, and neither does he.
Lofgren777:
If the person or persons aspie is referring to used "retarded" to mean "slowed down," as in, "The need to pause constantly to give my wizard new orders seriously retards combat," then they have nothing to apologize for. I myself have used the word this way, deliberately and as an insult, to describe a person who was causing a serious obstruction to getting done the work that needed to be done.
However, I have also used the word, in anger and without thinking clearly, to mean "stupid," or, even more vaguely, generally "bad" as one would use the word "sucks." This is something the word most definitely does not mean, except in slang, and the slang is meant to compare the person or thing described in relation to people who suffer from a particular disability.
It's insensitive at best – like trying to insult a white person by calling them black, a straight person by calling them gay, or a Catholic by calling him a Jew. It's meant to degrade the person by associating them with a particular class of people, not through any actual qualitative criticism.
If you, GT74, are seriously unaware of this usage of the word, then you can check it out in any number of resources. If you are not, then all I can say is that you are a gay black jew for trying to deflect a legitimate request by somebody who quite reasonably does not want their condition to be turned into a hurtful slur. If any of those descriptors actually applies to you, maybe you have some sense of how a retarded person might feel to know that comparing somebody to them is automatically an insult.
You GO Lofgren777!!!!
Pichothedestroyerofall:
Seriously when has "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me" become "Words make me cry!"
GT74:
I use the word and will continue using the word. If people want to take offense at it it's their prerogative but I'd advise them not to be so precious because there are more important things to worry about.
Yes, I am slandered and discriminated against wherever I go, but there are more important things to worry about.
Sings_off_key:
Gosh, I thought most people stopped using 'retard' as a slur by the time they got out of middle school. I hadn't noticed it commonly used here; guess I must be reading the wrong threads. Tsk tsk.
My personal favourite:
xAzhreIx:
ahahahahaha. Honestly do you think "I" care about how you feel? Sorry to burst your bubble but this is the internet where 99.99999999999% of the time people could careless if you're a cancer patient on your death bed. Suck it up and get used to it. If you're going to get offended by every little thing, and yes THE WORD RETARD POSTED ON A NWN2 FORUMS IS LITTLE, then perhaps the internet is not for you. I laugh because personally I am one of those people who could care less if one is a cancer patient on his/her deathbed, and I sure as hell will use any language that is deemed appropriate for these forums whether it hurts your feelings or not.
Unclear on the concept:
Mick Marner:
The distinction should be pointed out:
"Retard", when used as a noun, is an offensive slang term. "Retarded" even when used to describe mental deficiency OR something being slowed down, is the CORRECT terminology.
i.e.
You can say "Jimmy is retarded" and that is generally seen as acceptable.
Saying "Jimmy is a retard" on the other hand is not.
This guy rocks:
Lofgren777:
Spoken like a true straight WASP with no empathy whatsoever.
You have a closer look at the OP's post. Specifically note that he is not a moderator and has no power to ban words. He's completely within his rights to make a request, and you are completely within your right to continue to express your bigotry.
Of course, since your first did not say "I disagree that the word should be banned entirely," but instead suggested that it was the OP's fault he was offended because he misinterpreted a use of the word that was consistent with its dictionary definition, I'm going to assume your sudden defense of freedom of expression is just another attempt to deflect the criticism so you can continue broadly insulting people based on immutable characteristics.
If, however, you are not a bigot (and this goes for everybody who is trying to defend this behavior), if you do not believe that handicapped people are inferior, then it would behoove you to stop using the word retard so you stop presenting yourself as a bigot. Regardless of any individual person's feelings, any non-bigot should be able to see quite clearly that turning a class of people into a slur is bad for everybody. Maybe if we start now, then when you have a retarded child your kid can grow up in a world where their unavoidable medical condition is not a callous insult.
Psychology:
nicethugbert:
A Catholic being offended at being called a Jew reveals his feelings about Jews, or his understanding of the caller's intentions. Maybe he is afraid of the inquisition.
And to finish it off:
Lofgren777:
The Catholic's feelings are irrelevent. Using the word "Jew" as an insult is an insult to Jews. Surely you see that?
A person who is late to work is indeed retarded (although that would not be a very common use of the word at all). Again, if the people the OP is referring to were trying to describe something or someone as an impediment to speed, then they have nothing to apologize for. I sincerely doubt that is the case.
After that, the post was closed by the forum moderator, who said the discussion would take place in another forum. I couldn't find this forum, so I started a new topic with:
ASpieboy:
OK, apparently there was some confusion in the last post. Let me try to explain myself as clearly as possible:
1. Retard is offensive. End of story. Do not dare to tell me, as a member of a minority, what is offensive and what is not. You do not decide. I believe that every mentally and physically challenged individual will agree with me on this point. I am not just some overly sensitive freak. I am someone who has had their fill of prejudice.
2. I understand that often this word is used without intent to harm or hurt anyone. I understand that this word has a place in the dictionary. There are many words that were once acceptable that are now understood as harmful. I could take any number of racial slurs to use as an example. Retard is offensive no matter how you use it. Don't try to tell me otherwise, for as I have already mentioned, most disabled people agree with me, and you have no right to say what is offensive to another minority. We will be the judge of that, thank you.
3. If after reading this post, you still will use the word retard in any pretext, you are insulting the entire disabled community, and I have nothing more to say to you. Don't even bother posting here.
I understand that the discussion for this was moved, but as I mentioned in my earlier post, I am new to these forums, and cannot find where the new topic is. If someone could post a link, that would be great. I have copied and will continue to copy my posts and the responses on my blog, and will notify other disabled bloggers of its existence.
Quickly followed by:
Nickolaas:
Oh give it a rest! I'm getting so tired of you politically correct types who insist that everyone needs to walk on eggshelves in order to avoid offending anyone. If I want to insult someone by calling him/her a "retard", that's my right. It's called freedom of speech. Or are you now trying to tell us it's not right to insult anyone under any circumstances? This is really not the right forum for this type of discusssion. It's a game forum, not a political gathering. Go find some place where your views will actually be welcomed.
Cinnabar Din (Moderator):
Nickolaas, that's out of line. There's no need to flame the OP. As well, you DO NOT have the right to call anyone a retard or any other derogatory name on these boards. You can say whatever you want elsewhere, but there are rules here.
ASpieboy: I appreciate the fact that you're trying to open peoples' eyes to how others may feel about the use of this word in particular (and, by extension, other words as well), but there are already rules in place for these boards that address this kind of thing. The best course of action is, if you find someone has posted something offensive, to send a PM to any of the moderators or devs with a link to the thread in question and we can deal with it.
Unfortunately, the first thread, as well as the first response in this one, has demonstrated that this is likely to result in insults and flaming. It's also off topic. So I'm going to lock this here along with a reminder to everyone on these boards:
review the rules of conduct before you hit that Submit button if you're in any way thinking of posting something that may offend someone or that will insult another member of the community. And don't post a hasty reply if you've got your hackles up. Take a breath, step away from the keyboard, and consider what you're about to post.
That was nice of the moderator, but I think he rather missed the point. I wanted to make it clear to everyone what they were doing. There are people who just DON'T UNDERSTAND, and privately admonishing them isn't going to help. It will just continue. It's not just the word. It's the state of mind.
I'm getting a new signature on the forums. One with a little touch of education in it.
ASpieboy:
I first discovered RPGs with World of Warcraft. I liked it at first, but the attitude of the other players was sickening. I'm glad to have found NWN2, it's a much friendlier atmosphere.
Then I came across the word 'retarded' in the forums. I don't want to point fingers, but this word is unacceptably offensive. I am disabled, and I speak for all disabled people when I say that the words 'retard' and 'retarded' should not be allowed anywhere. These words are unspeakably offensive.
I know that these words were used without intent to harm, but harm is still done. Let's be mature about this. Don't use the R word. Treat it like all other untolerated racial slurs because it is discriminating against a minority.
I didn't check in for the next few days, and when I got back in touch, it seemed that my post had created quite the controversy. Here are some of the responses:
GT74:
What's the problem here? "Retard" is a real word with a real meaning. It's not offensive per se. Why do you choose to take offense?
MaGicBush:
I don't ever use the word really, doesn't fit in anything I type or say. But I honestly don't know how this could be offensive, even if your disabled. In life you have to learn to ignore others for the most part, and take it with a grain of salt. My wife's uncle is *extremely* handicapped but I don't take offense to it, and neither does he.
Lofgren777:
If the person or persons aspie is referring to used "retarded" to mean "slowed down," as in, "The need to pause constantly to give my wizard new orders seriously retards combat," then they have nothing to apologize for. I myself have used the word this way, deliberately and as an insult, to describe a person who was causing a serious obstruction to getting done the work that needed to be done.
However, I have also used the word, in anger and without thinking clearly, to mean "stupid," or, even more vaguely, generally "bad" as one would use the word "sucks." This is something the word most definitely does not mean, except in slang, and the slang is meant to compare the person or thing described in relation to people who suffer from a particular disability.
It's insensitive at best – like trying to insult a white person by calling them black, a straight person by calling them gay, or a Catholic by calling him a Jew. It's meant to degrade the person by associating them with a particular class of people, not through any actual qualitative criticism.
If you, GT74, are seriously unaware of this usage of the word, then you can check it out in any number of resources. If you are not, then all I can say is that you are a gay black jew for trying to deflect a legitimate request by somebody who quite reasonably does not want their condition to be turned into a hurtful slur. If any of those descriptors actually applies to you, maybe you have some sense of how a retarded person might feel to know that comparing somebody to them is automatically an insult.
You GO Lofgren777!!!!
Pichothedestroyerofall:
Seriously when has "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me" become "Words make me cry!"
GT74:
I use the word and will continue using the word. If people want to take offense at it it's their prerogative but I'd advise them not to be so precious because there are more important things to worry about.
Yes, I am slandered and discriminated against wherever I go, but there are more important things to worry about.
Sings_off_key:
Gosh, I thought most people stopped using 'retard' as a slur by the time they got out of middle school. I hadn't noticed it commonly used here; guess I must be reading the wrong threads. Tsk tsk.
My personal favourite:
xAzhreIx:
ahahahahaha. Honestly do you think "I" care about how you feel? Sorry to burst your bubble but this is the internet where 99.99999999999% of the time people could careless if you're a cancer patient on your death bed. Suck it up and get used to it. If you're going to get offended by every little thing, and yes THE WORD RETARD POSTED ON A NWN2 FORUMS IS LITTLE, then perhaps the internet is not for you. I laugh because personally I am one of those people who could care less if one is a cancer patient on his/her deathbed, and I sure as hell will use any language that is deemed appropriate for these forums whether it hurts your feelings or not.
Unclear on the concept:
Mick Marner:
The distinction should be pointed out:
"Retard", when used as a noun, is an offensive slang term. "Retarded" even when used to describe mental deficiency OR something being slowed down, is the CORRECT terminology.
i.e.
You can say "Jimmy is retarded" and that is generally seen as acceptable.
Saying "Jimmy is a retard" on the other hand is not.
This guy rocks:
Lofgren777:
Spoken like a true straight WASP with no empathy whatsoever.
You have a closer look at the OP's post. Specifically note that he is not a moderator and has no power to ban words. He's completely within his rights to make a request, and you are completely within your right to continue to express your bigotry.
Of course, since your first did not say "I disagree that the word should be banned entirely," but instead suggested that it was the OP's fault he was offended because he misinterpreted a use of the word that was consistent with its dictionary definition, I'm going to assume your sudden defense of freedom of expression is just another attempt to deflect the criticism so you can continue broadly insulting people based on immutable characteristics.
If, however, you are not a bigot (and this goes for everybody who is trying to defend this behavior), if you do not believe that handicapped people are inferior, then it would behoove you to stop using the word retard so you stop presenting yourself as a bigot. Regardless of any individual person's feelings, any non-bigot should be able to see quite clearly that turning a class of people into a slur is bad for everybody. Maybe if we start now, then when you have a retarded child your kid can grow up in a world where their unavoidable medical condition is not a callous insult.
Psychology:
nicethugbert:
A Catholic being offended at being called a Jew reveals his feelings about Jews, or his understanding of the caller's intentions. Maybe he is afraid of the inquisition.
And to finish it off:
Lofgren777:
The Catholic's feelings are irrelevent. Using the word "Jew" as an insult is an insult to Jews. Surely you see that?
A person who is late to work is indeed retarded (although that would not be a very common use of the word at all). Again, if the people the OP is referring to were trying to describe something or someone as an impediment to speed, then they have nothing to apologize for. I sincerely doubt that is the case.
After that, the post was closed by the forum moderator, who said the discussion would take place in another forum. I couldn't find this forum, so I started a new topic with:
ASpieboy:
OK, apparently there was some confusion in the last post. Let me try to explain myself as clearly as possible:
1. Retard is offensive. End of story. Do not dare to tell me, as a member of a minority, what is offensive and what is not. You do not decide. I believe that every mentally and physically challenged individual will agree with me on this point. I am not just some overly sensitive freak. I am someone who has had their fill of prejudice.
2. I understand that often this word is used without intent to harm or hurt anyone. I understand that this word has a place in the dictionary. There are many words that were once acceptable that are now understood as harmful. I could take any number of racial slurs to use as an example. Retard is offensive no matter how you use it. Don't try to tell me otherwise, for as I have already mentioned, most disabled people agree with me, and you have no right to say what is offensive to another minority. We will be the judge of that, thank you.
3. If after reading this post, you still will use the word retard in any pretext, you are insulting the entire disabled community, and I have nothing more to say to you. Don't even bother posting here.
I understand that the discussion for this was moved, but as I mentioned in my earlier post, I am new to these forums, and cannot find where the new topic is. If someone could post a link, that would be great. I have copied and will continue to copy my posts and the responses on my blog, and will notify other disabled bloggers of its existence.
Quickly followed by:
Nickolaas:
Oh give it a rest! I'm getting so tired of you politically correct types who insist that everyone needs to walk on eggshelves in order to avoid offending anyone. If I want to insult someone by calling him/her a "retard", that's my right. It's called freedom of speech. Or are you now trying to tell us it's not right to insult anyone under any circumstances? This is really not the right forum for this type of discusssion. It's a game forum, not a political gathering. Go find some place where your views will actually be welcomed.
Cinnabar Din (Moderator):
Nickolaas, that's out of line. There's no need to flame the OP. As well, you DO NOT have the right to call anyone a retard or any other derogatory name on these boards. You can say whatever you want elsewhere, but there are rules here.
ASpieboy: I appreciate the fact that you're trying to open peoples' eyes to how others may feel about the use of this word in particular (and, by extension, other words as well), but there are already rules in place for these boards that address this kind of thing. The best course of action is, if you find someone has posted something offensive, to send a PM to any of the moderators or devs with a link to the thread in question and we can deal with it.
Unfortunately, the first thread, as well as the first response in this one, has demonstrated that this is likely to result in insults and flaming. It's also off topic. So I'm going to lock this here along with a reminder to everyone on these boards:
review the rules of conduct before you hit that Submit button if you're in any way thinking of posting something that may offend someone or that will insult another member of the community. And don't post a hasty reply if you've got your hackles up. Take a breath, step away from the keyboard, and consider what you're about to post.
That was nice of the moderator, but I think he rather missed the point. I wanted to make it clear to everyone what they were doing. There are people who just DON'T UNDERSTAND, and privately admonishing them isn't going to help. It will just continue. It's not just the word. It's the state of mind.
I'm getting a new signature on the forums. One with a little touch of education in it.
November 06, 2008
Michael Crichton
I recently found out that one of my favourite authors, Michael Crichton, has died. His most famous novels include Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, The Great Train Robbery, Disclosure, Congo, Next, and State of Fear. He created the television series E.R.
Just as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was the master of detective novels, Michael Crichton was the master of science fiction. His books are both educational and exciting, although the film adaptations were some of the worst ever created. He was without a doubt one of the best writers and thinkers of the 20th century. He died of cancer at age 66.
http://www.crichton-official.com/
Just as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was the master of detective novels, Michael Crichton was the master of science fiction. His books are both educational and exciting, although the film adaptations were some of the worst ever created. He was without a doubt one of the best writers and thinkers of the 20th century. He died of cancer at age 66.
http://www.crichton-official.com/
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